A little advice from an unlikely source
by raintheangels
Summary: Bored with studying on a nice day, Ami ventures to the local park, meets an interesting stranger, and may have just found a new hobby. Implied Minako/Rei, a little OOC. Thanks for reading!


Disclaimer: I own nothing from Sailor Moon or anything of the sort. Please don't sue me.

A little advice from an unlikely source.

The summer heat glaring down, Ami Mizuno went searching for some shade, and, perhaps, a little peace and quiet. For months now, she had been bogged down with the ritual of studying for mock exams, taking mock exams, studying for real exams, nervously dreading real exams, taking real exams, anxiously awaiting the results, and finally reeling with joy as the results told her she had made it into Tokyo U. Now she was facing an entirely new dilemma.

Once the fruit of her studious labors had paid off, Ami had found herself in the unique position of having nothing to study for. She had found herself browsing the public library, when the sudden realization hit her that it was a truly glorious day. The sun was out, not a cloud to be seen; the temperature had risen to 90 degrees Fahrenheit, and most people were enjoying the weather, not inside browsing the dusty shelves of tomes at a library. Ami had tried contacting her fellow Senshi, but Usagi was out with Mamoru, Minako and Rei were enjoying a quiet little date at the beach, and Makoto was busy inventing a new ice cream flavor, something to do with chocolate and maple. She had offered to give Ami a sample, something which Ami had vigorously declined.

So now Ami found herself at the local park. She noticed a man selling frozen confections out of a little pushcart, and, after purchasing a strawberry ice pop, she sauntered over to have a seat on a bench. 'It certainly is hot today' the bluenette thought to herself. Without a book, however, Ami soon found herself casually observing the myriad of different people at the park. The usual love-struck couples sharing lunch under the trees, parents watching their kids fly kites in the breeze, and over-enthusiastic dogs chasing after air-borne Frisbees. She also noticed, not too far away, there was a cement area with little ledges, rails, sets of 3-5 steps, and even an empty concrete swimming pool. 'Now what on Earth is the purpose of all this unsightly grey in the middle of a lush, green park?' Ami wondered.

Her ponderings were soon answered as a man approached the empty pool. He was wearing black shorts, a black T-shirt with the single word "Creature" on the chest in a Gothic lettering, black shoes with bright green laces, and a black baseball hat. A green I-pod with similar headphones completed the odd ensemble. The man himself had short brown hair, sunglasses, and a green skateboard that said Partanen on the underside. He examined the pool for a moment, before rolling into it at high-speed.

Ami watched, enthralled, as the man raced around the empty pool, sometimes pausing precariously on the edge, sometimes sliding on the pool's coping, always managing to stay on his board. Until, whilst sliding on the coping, the board came to an abrupt halt, and he tumbled into the pool. Ami rushed over to the side, expecting a bloody and broken mess. To her relief, the man was unhurt. He got to his feet, groaning, and collected his board. "Err, I don't mean to intrude, but are you alright? I saw you fall, and I thought you might be hurt." said the Senshi of Mercury. The man looked at her, and smiled. "Happens all the time. I just pick myself up, and start again. Thank you for caring, though." Ami blushed. The man was very polite, far from what Ami had expected. After all, she didn't know the guy, and he did have a rather rascally look about him. "My name's Robb. How about you?" quizzed the stranger. "I'm Ami. Ami Mizuno" stated the blue-haired girl.

Robb looked her over, and said, matter-of-factly, "It's nice to meet you, Ms. Ami, but I don't think you came here just to watch me skate. In fact, you look like you're bored out of your skull." Ami blushed again, wondering how this man could be so intuitive. She nodded. "Well, all of my friends are out, I have nothing to study for right now, and it seemed like such a waste to be cooped up in the library today, looking for a good book to read. I just sort of wandered over to this park, and watching you seemed better than sitting here by myself, daydreaming." Ami confessed. She looked around and sighed. "I wish I had some kind of hobby for a gorgeous day like today." Robb looked at her dubiously. "Well, then find one. Go try something new. Something you've never tried before, or told yourself you'd try it one day, but just plain forgot. I mean, the possibilities are endless. The world is your oyster, Ami. Don't be afraid to experience it."

Ami turned to leave, but stopped short. She looked back. "Thank you, Robb. Maybe you're right. I think I will try something new today. After all, you only live once, right?" Robb just smiled, flashed Ami the "Peace" sign, re-inserted his ear buds, and promptly dropped in once more, oblivious to the world. Ami turned away, and a little while later, found herself at the nearby mall. She walked in, searching for a shop she had seen some time ago, but had passed it by on the way to the bookstore. 'Ah, here it is!' she thought to herself. The brightly lit lettering spelled out the word "Zumiez". She entered, and walked to the rear of the store, where a man in a shirt bearing the word "Zero" stood, applying wheels to a new skateboard. "Pardon me, but I have a strange question for you." Stammered the bluenette.

And so, Ami found herself back at the cement pool, perched on a brand-new skateboard(an Elissa Steamer Zero, if you really must know), and asked herself if she was insane. Standing at the edge, she looked down fearfully, and seemed to hear Robb's words in her head, almost like a movie flash-back. 'Don't be afraid to try something new, after all, you'll never know unless you try…' Ami swallowed, shut her eyes tightly, said a quick prayer, and leaned forward…

The End

A/N: Yes, the aforementioned man named Robb is none other than your humble author. I tried to describe myself truthfully, and, yes, my board is a Creature, and I do dress like that. Now I know Ami might be a little OOC, but I was bored, and this is my first fanfic. Please give constructive criticism, but no flames, please. I repeat; THIS IS MY VERY FIRST FANFIC ATTEMPT! Thank you for taking the time to read it.


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